Bag For Shoring Bank Of Body of Water

ABSTRACT

A bag assembly for repairing a receded bank includes a fabric bag having a closable opening; and a mesh cover surrounding the bag. The bag assembly is filled with a fill material and has an end portion that is fastened to remain closed. The mesh cover can be applied over and around the bag after the bag is filled. The mesh cover is resistant to penetration by burrowing animals, such as muskrats. A method is described for restoring a bank on a body of water that is resistant to burrowing animals and includes the steps of: stacking a plurality of courses of bag assemblies to form a wall spaced from a face of a receded bank, wherein each bag assembly comprises a fabric bag filled with fill material and surrounded by a mesh cover; and filling the void between the wall and the receded bank with fill material. The method can include the further step of before the step of stacking bag assemblies, placing a blanket of mesh over the face of the receded bank.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/624,536, filed Jan. 31, 2018.

BACKGROUND

Bodies of water such as creeks, rivers, ponds and lakes are locations that beautify parks, golf courses and natural settings. These bodies of water are typically defined by banks a few feet in height. These bodies of water attract burrowing animals such as muskrats. Muskrats dig into the banks of these bodies of water to make dens and to multiply. These dens can be numerous and can weaken the bank and cause serious erosion and receding of the bank. In many cases, efforts to trap and reduce the muskrat population has been ineffective.

The present inventor has recognized the desirability of providing an effective method to repair a receding bank of a body of water which prevents the erosion caused by burrowing animals. The present inventor has recognized the desirability of providing articles that can be cost effectively manufactured and transported to the jobsite, the articles useful in repairing a bank of a body of water.

SUMMARY

The embodiments and methods of the invention provide for an effective repair of a receding bank of a body of water that reduces or eliminates the erosion effect of animal-burrowing into the bank. An exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of bag assemblies that each includes a bag, filled with rock, sand or soil, closed and wrapped with a mesh that is resistant to animal burrowing, such as a metal wire mesh or fencing, such as a metal mesh known as “chicken wire.” The bag assemblies can be stacked in a wall to repair or replace the bank and the area behind the wall can be filled with rock or other backfill. Animals, such as muskrats, are prevented from burrowing into the bank by the presence of the mesh.

According to an exemplary method of the invention, a wall, made up by stacking the aforementioned bag assemblies, is built up along the body of water between the body of water and the receding bank. The area between the wall and the receding bank is then backfilled with rock, soil or sand. A top soil cover can be deposited over the top of the wall and over the backfill. Grass or other vegetation can be planted in the topsoil which over time will further stabilize the bank.

As an enhancement to the aforementioned method, before the wall is built up by stacking the bag assemblies, a substrate or blanket of wire mesh is placed on top of the bank, down the receding bank and under and past the area to be occupied by the wall. After a first course of bag assemblies is placed onto the wire mesh, the wire mesh can be bent up along its lower edge and placed on top of the first course. A second course of bag assemblies is placed over the bent over wire mesh and onto the first course of bag assemblies. This holds the lower edge of the wire mesh in place, clamped between the first and second courses of bag assemblies. This substrate of wire mesh adds an additional layer of prevention against burrowing animals, such as muskrats, burrowing into the side of the bank.

The first course of the aforementioned wall can be placed below water level further deterring burrowing animals from breaching the wall. The uppermost course can be filled with soil to promote vegetation growth through the uppermost bags. The uppermost course of bags can be perforated to promote the vegetation growth and may not need to be wrapped in wire mesh, given the close proximity to the ground surface.

This application incorporates by reference U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/624,536, filed Jan. 31, 2018, in its entirety.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a restoration of a bank of a body of water;

FIG. 1A is a perspective view, partly schematical, of a bag assembly taken from FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged elevation view of the bag assembly, shown partly in section, taken generally along lines 2-2 in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the bag assembly, shown partly in section, taken generally along lines 3-3 in FIG. 1A;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken generally along lines 4-4 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 5 is a left end view of the bag assembly shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

In order to better illustrate the embodiments of the invention, some elements are shown with exaggerated thicknesses or sizes.

FIG. 1 shows a bank restoration of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view. It should be understood that the elements of FIG. 1 extend into and out of the page in two or three dimensions. A bank 10 of a body of water has a top surface 14, and a bank face 18 that extends down to bed 26 of the body of water. A burrowing animal, such as a muskrat has excavated a den 32 into the bank, having an opening or entry 36 on the face 18 of the bank. Multiple and repeated burrowing by animals has caused erosion of the bank and the face of the bank to recede from a location A to a location B.

An exemplary method of the invention restores the bank to the position A in a manner that is preventative of future erosion caused by burrowing animals. A substrate, or blanket 44 of wire mesh is placed onto the bank with an upper portion 48 laid on the top surface 14, a substantially vertical portion 54 placed against the face 18, and a lower portion 58 placed on the bed 26. A wall 70 is built up by stacking one or more courses 72, 74, 76 of bag assemblies 77 along the bank. In the illustrated embodiment three courses 72, 74, 76 of bag assemblies 77 are used. The bag assemblies are placed in a sandbag-stacking manner wherein the joints between bag assemblies of one course are staggered with respect to the joints between bag assemblies of adjacent courses.

After the first course of bag assemblies is placed, the lower portion of the substrate 44 is bent up into a vertical part 80 and a horizontal part 81 back over the first course of bag assemblies. A second course of bag assemblies is placed onto the horizontal part 81 and the first course to hold the blanket 44 in place.

One or more courses of bags can be placed below water level W.

After the wall 70 is complete, the area between the wall 70 and the bank face 18 is backfilled with a fill 84, such as rock, soil, sand or other suitable material. This can be 1½ inch gravel and/or 3 inch limestone. A layer of top soil 90 is placed over a top of the last course of bag assemblies and over the fill 84 and over the wire mesh 48 at the top surface 14. The top soil has a top surface 96 substantially flush with the top surface 14 of the bank.

FIGS. 1A-5 show one bag assembly 77 in more detail. The bag assembly 77 is composed of a bag 78, which can be of nonwoven material that is substantially closed except for an end opening 102 defined between a pair of edge regions 104, 106. When the edge regions 104, 106 are spread apart, the opening 102 is revealed and when the edge regions 104, 106 are closed together the bag 78 is effectively closed. When the edge regions 104, 106 are spread and the opening 102 is revealed, the bag 78 can be filled with rock, soil, sand or other suitable material. The bag 78 can be filled by hand or by use of a sandbag-filling type apparatus. The bag 78 is then closed by pressing the edge regions 104, 106 together and fastening the edge regions 104, 106 to each other. The filled bag is pounded or otherwise pressed to be substantially flat. The entire bag, top, sides, bottom and ends are then wrapped in a wire mesh cover 110 of steel or other material that is resistant to penetration by burrowing animals. The cover 110 is shown schematically in FIGS. 1A and 4. The wire mesh shown is known as “chicken wire” having a pattern of hexagonal openings. The wire mesh cover 110 can be wrapped around the bag 78 in a manner that is similar to the wrapping of a box with gift wrapping paper. Free edges of the folded cover can be secured by wire ties or nylon ratchet ties or the like, to form an enclosing cover around the bag.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the bag 78 has been filled with rock, soil, sand or other suitable material. An adhesive layer 114 has been applied to one or both edge regions 104, 106 between facing sides of the edge regions 104, 106. The edge regions 104, 106 are pressed together and stapled together with staples 118 spaced apart along the length of the edge regions 104, 106. After this occurs, the wire mesh cover 110 can be wrapped and secured around the outer surface of the bag 78.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, each bag can be composed of a nonwoven fabric, 8-12 mil thick. Each bag can have the dimensions 19 inches wide, 29 inches long and can be 5 or 6 inches tall. The bag can be filled with 1 inch to 2 inch washed gravel, and/or ⅜ inch to 1 inch limestone chips, and/or dirt and/or sand. Each bag can weigh 50-70 pounds. For closing each bag, an adhesive SUCH AS SURE BOND-EVERSEAL-SB 190 CAN BE USED. The staples can be STANLEY BOSTICH model P6C-¼ inch-⅜ inch or ⅜ inch staples driven by an EVERWIN PS50-10B pneumatic plier stapler. The mesh can be chicken wire ½ inch or 1 inch size, such as EVERBUILT poultry netting.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. 

1. A bag assembly, comprising: a fabric bag having a closable opening; and a mesh cover surrounding the bag.
 2. The bag assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fill within the bag and the bag comprises an end portion that is fastened to remain closed.
 3. The bag assembly according to claim 1, wherein the mesh is composed of steel wire mesh material.
 4. The bag assembly according to claim 1, wherein free flaps of the wrapped mesh cover are joined by ratchet ties.
 5. A method for restoring a bank on a body of water comprising the steps of: stacking a plurality of courses of bag assemblies to form a wall spaced from a face of a receded bank, wherein each bag assembly comprises a fabric bag filled with fill material and surrounded by a mesh cover; and filling the void between the wall and the receded bank with fill material.
 6. The method according to claim 5 comprising the further step of before the step of stacking bag assemblies, placing a blanket of mesh over the face of the receded bank.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of placing the blanket of mesh is further defined in that the blanket of mesh extends below the area that will be beneath the wall.
 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of placing the blanket of mesh is further defined in that a horizontal portion of the blanket of mesh extends above the receded bank.
 9. A bag assembly, comprising: a fabric bag having a closable opening; and a steel mesh cover surrounding top, sides, bottom and ends of the bag.
 10. The bag assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fill within the bag and the bag comprises an end portion that is fastened to remain closed.
 11. The bag assembly according to claim 1, wherein free flaps of the wrapped mesh cover are joined by ratchet ties. 